There seems to be a quirk in human nature that loves to hear about the failings of others

Gabrielle Higgins, Chichester Diocese secretary

Published:06:00Wednesday 30 March 2016

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Looking at today’s newspaper, I read of dozens of murders, abuse in care homes, on-line frauds, and financial misconduct. It’s a typical day.

Looking at my Bible, I found the words ‘whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things’.

There seems to be a quirk in human nature that loves to hear about the failings of others.

Goodness doesn’t sell news; gossip and scandal about the doings of others does.

From time to time there are TV ‘documentaries’ which claim to pay homage to great people of the past. In fact, they are usually debunking exercises. X was a great writer, but an inveterate womaniser; Y was a fine musician, but a secret alcoholic; Z was a wonderful painter, but lived abroad to evade UK taxes. What happened to ‘whatever is honourable….’?

We’ve heard recently of the debate around the statue of Cecil Rhodes at an Oxford College, a famous South African statesman, who supported apartheid.

But there’s no mention of all the good things he did in his life. What happened to ‘whatever is honourable….’?

Maybe we should start each day with ‘Whatever is honourable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, think about these things’.